A judge just dealt a blow to a big gun-maker being sued over the Sandy Hook massacre

A Connecticut judge on Thursday rejected a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the maker of a gun used in a 2012 elementary school shooting that killed 20 children and 6 adults, the Hartford Courant reports.

A judge just dealt a blow to a big gun-maker being sued over the Sandy Hook massacre

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2012 file photo a police cruiser sits in the driveway of the home of Nancy Lanza, in Newtown, Conn. The Newtown Legislative Council is voting Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015 on a proposal recommended by the board of selectmen to raze the 3,100-square-foot home and keep the land as open space. The Colonial-style home where Newtown school shooter Adam Lanza lived with his mother has been transferred to the town in a deal with a bank. Nancy Lanza was killed there by her son before he forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School, Dec. 14, 2012, in Newtown, where he killed 20 first-graders and six educators. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File)

Carlee Soto reacts as she learns her sister, Victoria Soto, a teacher at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, was one of 26 people killed in a shooting at the school in Newtown, Conn., Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: Mourners react at a makeshift memorial near the school following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

National Cathedral, with the Newtown Foundation holds a vigil in memory of the Newtown shooting victims on December, 12, 2013 in Washington, DC. family members of gun victims hold candles in vigil during the closing hymn.

Photo: Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Carole King performs during the Washington National Cathedral's National Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence. The event was to mark the one year anniversary of the shooting.

Photo: Matt McClain, Pool/Getty Images

The World Children's Choir performs during The National Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence in D.C. The vigil is in remembrance of victims of gun violence as the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

Newtown charities have raised $27 million since the shooting, according to NBC News. Thirty-six funds and charities have been set up since the tragedy. Many of the families have come together to set up mysandyhookfamily.org, a site for the families to share and communicate with the other families affected by the tragedy.

AP Photo/Jessica Hill

A green and white ribbon, the colors of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., is seen on the uniform of a Newtown High School Marching Band member after marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, March 16, 2013 in New York. The band wore the ribbons in remembrance of the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

AP Photo/Tina Fineberg

Lindsay Knauf takes a picture of a bus bearing some of the over 6,000 names of people killed by gun violence since the massacre in Newtown at a remembrance event on the six month anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. A a 26-second moment of silence was observed to honor the 20 children and six adults who were killed at the school. The event also included the reading of the names of over 6,000 people who have been killed by gun violence. The reading of names is expected to take 12 hours.

Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

People gather during a ceremony on the six-month anniversary honoring the 20 children and six adults killed at Sandy Hook Elementary school at Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, Conn., Friday, June 14, 2013. Newtown held a moment of silence Friday for the victims of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School at a remembrance event that doubled as a call to action on gun control, with the reading of names of thousands of victims of gun violence.

AP Photo/Jessica Hill

Cecilia Floros, 10, of Newtown, attends a remembrance event on the six month anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School on June 14, 2013 in Newtown, Connecticut.

Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Players for the Boston Cannons wear decals on their helmets to remember people whose lives were changed at the Sandy Hook and Boston Bombing attacks during a Major League Lacrosse game against the New York Lizards at James M. Shuart Stadium on April 28, 2013 in Hempstead, New York.

Photo: Paul Bereswill/Getty Images

Paul Rabil, number 99 on the Boston Cannons, walks onto the field with a young fan from Newtown, Connecticut before a game with the New York Lizards at Harvard Stadium on June 21, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Photo: Jim Rogash/Getty Images

A memorial to victims of last year's Sandy Hook elementary school victims is seen in front of a house in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 13, 2013.

Photo: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden leads a meeting on extending access to mental health care at the White House with Katy Sherlach, Georgetown Graduate student, Bill Sherlach, founder of Mary's Fund and Newtown victim family member, and Jeremy Richman, founder and CEO of Avielle Foundation and Newtown victim family member, on December 10, 2013 in Washington, D.C. During the meeting Biden announced that an additional $100 million will be made available to bolster access to mental health services and improve mental health facilities across the nation.

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Michele Gay, Josephine's mother, holding a specially made Bevin bell, checks out the newly unveiled sign dedicated to her daughter, Josephine, at the new playground opening ceremony, Dec. 11, 2013, in Bridgeport, Conn., the latest playground in the Sandy Ground project.

At an opening ceremony for the Sandy Ground Project playground in honor of Josephine Gay, children raced inside the tent-covered playground.

Photo: Stephen Dunn/Hartford Courant/MCT via Getty Images

Nancy Hintze, of Newtown, Conn., slides down a slide with her baby as children watch at a dedication ceremony for Emilie's Shady Spot playground at Riverside Park in New London, Conn., November 17, 2013. The playground, dedicated and named for Emilie Parker, is the 14th of 26 to be built.

Photo: Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant/MCT via Getty Images

A fireworks display at sunset lit up the sky over Long Island Sound after the new playground opening ceremony, Dec. 11, 2013, in Bridgeport, Conn., the latest playground in the Sandy Ground Project.

Photo: Stephen Dunn/Hartford Courant/MCT via Getty Images

Mark and Jackie Barden package rubber bracelets in memory of their slain son, Daniel Barden in Newtown, CT on May 23, 2013. Daniel was among the school children killed in Newtown last December. A family member suggested the rubber bracelets and a Facebook page be started to remember Daniel. The theme, 'What Would Daniel Do?' (WWDD) to inspire people to share their kindness with others, just like Daniel did.

Photo: Linda Davidson / The Washington Post via Getty Images

Jillian Soto, left, and Carlee Soto, sisters of Newtown, Conn. shooting victim Victoria Soto, hold hands during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 13, 2013, with member of Congress and Newtown families on the six month anniversary of the Newtown shootings.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Violinists from the Mozart Academy, Queens College, and Manhattan, Diller Quaile, and Bloomingdale schools of music perform on stage during the Newtown Memorial Concert at Gerald W. Lynch Theatre on May 6, 2013 in New York City.

Photo: D Dipasupil/Getty Images

The Newtown Youth Choir perform the national anthem prior to a game between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on July 7, 2013 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Toronto Blue Jays players observe a moment of silence in honor of the shooting victims in Newtown, Connecticut before the start of MLB game action on Opening Day against the Cleveland Indians on April 2, 2013 at Rogers Centre in Canada.

Photo: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Newtown volunteer firefighter Peter Barresi got a tattoo to remember the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. His son, Wyatt, is a first-grader at Sandy Hook School, and two boys in his Cub Scout Den were killed in the massacre. The tattoo will serve as a reminder to Barresi who said he never wants to forget what happened that horrible day.

Photo: Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant/MCT via Getty Images

A group of 26 riders biked from Newtown, CT to Washington, D.C. for a rally in support of gun control legislation. At a stop in College Park, MD they were joined by 3 riders from a team honoring the Virginia Tech shooting victims. Rider Wayne Prescott teaches at a high school near Newtown. He emerges from a support car after getting some dry provisions before continuing the ride.

Photo: Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Monte Frank, of Newtown, Connecticut, speaks at a press conference with Congress members from Connecticut and a group of 26 cyclists who rode from Newtown in support of common-sense solutions to gun violence on March 12, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Each member of the group of cyclists, which included two parents of children who attended Sandy Hook Elementary School, rode in honor of one of the 26 victims killed at the school on December 14, 2012.

Photo: T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images

James Maslow, Kendall Schmidt, Logan Henderson and Carlos Pena Jr. of Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush perform during their free concert for families on July 22, 2013 in Newtown, Connecticut.

Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Nickelodeon

A man identifing himself as Jonathan Lanza, the uncle of shooter Adam Lanza, stops by a memorial to pay his respects to the 27 people including 20 children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. (Photo by Craig Warga/NY Daily News via Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 16: A woman becomes overwhelmed with emotion as she approaches a makeshift memorial at the Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Newtown on Dec. 16, 2012, two days after gunman Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. and opened fire killing 20 children and several adults on. This church will be handling eight of the funerals. (Photo by Essdras M Suarez/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

STRATFORD, CT - DECEMBER 15: Donna Soto (R), mother of Victoria Soto, the first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School who was shot and killed while protecting her students, leans on her son Matthew while mourning their loss at a candlelight vigil in honor of Victoria at Stratford High School on December 15, 2012 in Stratford, Connecticut. Twenty-six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: (L to R) Lucas, Kelly and Michael DaSilva embrace at a makeshift memorial near the school following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance briefs the media and answers questions about the elementary school shooting before releasing the names of the victims during a press conference at Treadwell Memorial Park on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner H. Wayne Carver II talks to the media and answers questions the media about the elementary school shooting during a press conference at Treadwell Memorial Park on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: Claudia Urbiana and daughter Jocelyne Cardenas (left) hug outside of the entrance to the Sandy Hook School on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Megan (no last name available), a classmate of Adam Lanza from kindergarten until 7th grade, talks to reporters near the home of Nancy Lanza, mother of Adam Lanza, on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Adam Lanza, 20, was identified by authorities as the black-clad killer who fatally shot his mother in her home, gunned down 26 children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and then committed suicide on December 14. AFP PHOTO/DON EMMERT (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: Police officers stand outside of the entrance to the Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: Newtown resident Molly Villodas, 12 years old, speaks to the media about the violence at the Sandy Hook School on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 14: Mourners gather inside the St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church at a vigil service for victims of the Sandy Hook School shooting December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-seven people are dead, including 20 children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza in news reports opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly died at the scene. (Photo by Andrew Gombert-Pool/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 14: People gather at a fire station that was set up as a triage area near the scene of a mass school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. There are 27 dead, 20 of them children, after Adam Lanza reportedly opened fire in one of the largest school massacres in U.S. history. Lanza is dead at the scene and his mother, a teacher at the school, is also dead. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 14: Responders gather at the scene of a mass school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. There are 27 dead, 20 of them children, after Adam Lanza reportedly opened fire in one of the largest school massacres in U.S. history. Lanza is dead at the scene and his mother, a teacher at the school, is also dead. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

HOBOKEN, NJ - DECEMBER 14: Ryan Lanza, the brother of the identified shooter Adam Lanza, is escorted to a car by law enforcement for questioning in connection with an elementary school shooting on December 14, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey. According to reports, there are 27 dead, including 20 children, after the gunman opened fire in at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Adam Lanza was also found dead at the scene. (Photo by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)

HOBOKEN, NJ - DECEMBER 14: An unmarked police car transports a man from 1313 Grand St. work a scene near 1313 Grand St., which is believed to be connected with an elementary school shooting on December 14, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey. According to reports, there are 27 dead, including 20 children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza, opened fire in at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The shooter, identified as Adam Lanza was also found dead at the scene. (Photo by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 14: People stand on Dickson Street near the scene of an elementary school shooting on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-seven are dead, including 20 children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza in news reports, opened fire in at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Lanza also reportedly died at the scene. (Photo by Douglas Healey/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 14: Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman brief the media on the elementary school shootings during a press conference at Treadwell Memorial Park on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-seven are dead, including 20 children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza in news reports, opened fire in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Lanza also reportedly died at the scene. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 14: People hug outside of the Newtown United Methodist Church on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-seven are dead, including 20 children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza in news reports, opened fire in the Sandy Hook School in Newtown. Lanza also reportedly died at the scene. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: A police officer stands outside of the entrance to the Sandy Hook School on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: A woman reacts at a prayer service to reflect on the violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School at St. John Episcopal Church on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: Newtown High School students Trevor Lopez (left) Steven Tramontozzi (center) and Chris Koch stand outside of a church where residents have come to pray and reflect on the violence at the Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 15: A message along the highway speaks to the grief of the Sandy Hook community near the Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 15, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 16: Kristen Brassard (Left) and Kat Donohue, both of Newtown, hug outside of the Sandy Hook School December 16, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza, found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 16: Connecticut State Police officers walk outside St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church after a threat to the church was received during the first day of Sunday services following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 16, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. The church was evacuated during noon mass due to the unspecified threat and will remain closed the rest of the day. Police have reportedly now given the 'all clear' for the area. On Friday, December 14, twenty six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Twelve-year-old Samantha and her father Len Strocchia, neighbors of Nancy Lanza, mother of Adam Lanza, talk to reporters on December 15, 2012 in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. Lanza, 20, was identified by authorities as the black-clad killer who fatally shot his mother in her home, gunned down 26 children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and then committed suicide on December 14. AFP PHOTO/DON EMMERT (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 16: People walk to lay flowers in front of the Sandy Hook School December 16, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza, found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Elizabeth Bogdanoff, left, kisses her daughter Julia, 13, both of Newtown, Conn., during a prayer service at St John's Episcopal Church in Newtown, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012. The massacre of 26 children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary school elicited horror and soul-searching around the world even as it raised more basic questions about why the gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, would have been driven to such a crime and how he chose his victims. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Isabella Jimenez, 12, reacts while talking to reporters about the shooting rampage from a day earlier when a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. Jimenez said she might know the victims because she has done volunteer work with small children. The massacre of 26 children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary school elicited horror and soul-searching around the world even as it raised more basic questions about why the gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, would have been driven to such a crime and how he chose his victims. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A couple of volunteer firefighters carry flowers past their fire truck they will place at a makeshift memorial at a sign for the Sandy Hook Elementary school, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012 in Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Conn. The massacre of 26 children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary school elicited horror and soul-searching around the world even as it raised more basic questions about why the gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, would have been driven to such a crime and how he chose his victims. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 file photo, a mother runs with her children as police above canvass homes in the area following a shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza fatally shot 27 people, including 20 children. Psychiatrists say after the grief and fear fades, most of Newtown's young survivors probably will cope without long-term emotional problems, often through play. Among the challenges will be spotting which children are struggling enough that they may need professional help. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2012 file photo, Robert and Alissa Parker, at right, leave a firehouse staging area following a shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Gunman Adam Lanza opened fire inside the school, killing 26 children and adults, including the Parkers' daughter Emilie Parker, 6. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

A homemade sign written on a table cloth, hangs outside the Stone River Grille, in honor of the teachers who died along with students a day earlier when a gunman open fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, in the Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Conn. Gary Seri, general manager at the Stone River Grille, put up red balloons that were not used when a sweet 16 party was canceled the night before in light of the massacre, said the teachers were scheduled to have their holiday party at his restaurant. The massacre of 26 children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary school elicited horror and soul-searching around the world even as it raised more basic questions about why the gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, would have been driven to such a crime and how he chose his victims. (AP Photo/Allen Breed)

FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 file photo, parents leave a staging area after being reunited with their children following a shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza fatally shot 27 people, including 20 children. Psychiatrists say after the grief and fear fades, most of Newtown's young survivors probably will cope without long-term emotional problems, often through play. Among the challenges will be spotting which children are struggling enough that they may need professional help. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

Mourners gather inside the St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church at a vigil service for victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that left at least 27 people dead, many of them young children, in Newtown, Conn. Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Police have identified the gunman as Adam Lanza, whose mother was a teacher at the school. (AP Photo/Andrew Gombert, Pool)

Barbara Wells, of Shelton, Conn., holds her daughter Olivia, 3, as she pays her respects at one of the makeshift memorials for the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 in Newtown, Conn. Authorities say a gunman killed his mother at their home and then opened fire inside the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, killing 26 people, including 20 children, before taking his own life, on Friday.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

A mourner is comforted by a police officer as she arrives at a funeral service for 6-year-old Noah Pozner, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, in Fairfield, Conn. Pozner was killed when a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Teddy bears, each representing a victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, sit on a wall at a sidewalk memorial, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 file photo, parents leave a staging area after being reunited with their children following a shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza fatally shot 27 people, including 20 children. Psychiatrists say after the grief and fear fades, most of Newtown's young survivors probably will cope without long-term emotional problems, often through play. Among the challenges will be spotting which children are struggling enough that they may need professional help. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

A mourner bows her head inside the St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church at a vigil service for victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in Newtown, Conn. Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Gombert, Pool)

Law enforcement watch a home near Sandy Hook Elementary School being canvassed by police after a shooting at the school in Newtown, Conn. where a gunman opened fire, leaving 26 people dead, including 20 children, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Alissa Parker, left, and her husband, Robbie Parker, leave the firehouse staging after receiving word that their six-year-old daughter Emilie was one of the 20 children killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting in Newtown, Conn., Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Supporters of gun control gather on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, during a vigil for the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Ct., and to call on President Obama to pass strong gun control laws. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

A Hoboken police officer stands at a blocked street near a residence at the intersection of 13th and Grand streets in Hoboken, N.J. on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 after a connection was reported with the shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

A woman carries a boy from Sandy Hook Elementary School out of staging area at a firehouse for families after being reunited after a shooting at the school
where a gunman opened fire, leaving 26 people dead, including 20 children, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2013 file photo, a makeshift memorial with crosses for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre stands outside a home in Newtown, Conn., on the one-year anniversary of the shootings. Newtown is taking its time to decide what a permanent memorial should look like. A commission has been hearing proposals for concepts including murals, groves and memorial parks, while looking for lessons from paths chosen by other tragedy-stricken communities. Public forums are planned for 2015, the next step in a process that is expected to last several more years. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

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However, in a blow to the maker of the Bushmaster AR-16 semiautomatic rifle, Judge Barbara Bellis ruled that law wasn't enough to have the case thrown out right now at this early stage, according to the Courant.

The case was brought by families of nine children killed in the December 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Adam Lanza, 20, wielded a Bushmaster AR-16 and killed himself following the massacre.

"We are thrilled that the gun companies' motion to dismiss was denied. The families look forward to continuing their fight in court," Josh Koskoff, the plaintiffs' lead attorney, said in a statement, perNewsweek.

The suit names Remington Arms Co., the manufacturer of the Bushmaster AR-15 that was used in the shooting, Camfour Inc., a gun distributor, and Riverview Gun Sales, a now-defunct gun shop in Connecticut where the rifle was purchased by the shooter's mother in 2010, according to Newsweek.

The PLCAA has been a point of contention the Democratic race.

Bernie Sanders (I-VT) supported the law when he was in Congress. Sanders has defended his decision, citing his Vermont constituents, who are in favor of protecting local gun stores from legal action. As a senator from New York, Hillary Clinton voted against the law, according to Newsweek.